Hydraulic capsuling machine



Aug. 3, 1937. o. J. BRUUN l HYDRAULIC CAPSULING MACHINE Filed June so.. 195:5

7 3 a A @le LMA, n2 0 @yn/A@ aww ,2 @ai X 7 8 6 5 Or'rc johannes Bvuu m v NTC r1.

' A ttnrnev Patented Aug. 3, 1937 PATENT OFFICE HYDRAULIC CAPSULING` MACHINE Otto Johannes Brunn, Copenhagen, Denmark j Application jumeau, 19aseria1No. 678,443

, j In Germany.December 1,1932

. `12 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in hydraulic capsuling machines ofthe kindhaving an elastic sleeve encircled. by ailiquid'chaniber, in which the liquid pressure on the sleeve is controlled by a piston, adapted tobemoved'inwards and outwards in said liquid chamber. "Such machines are used inl capsuling bottles with the socalled tin-foil capsules; i f

The invention relatesmorespecially to elastic sleeves for such hydraulic capsuling"machines and has for its object to improve the Working yof such devices, mainly so asto make it possible to perform a perfect capSuling, using' capsules of very'thintin-foil. k,

l The above mentioned 'sort of capsuling machines are commonly used for applying the' known cup-shaped tin-foil capsules, but are not suitableY for attachment of the kind'of` capsulesthatare made from thin soft metal'foil with iiutedsides. In order to enable capsulesof thisnature to be afxed tightly and smoothly to the bottle neck, it is for instance necessary for the capsuling machineto be tted. Witha device, by means of which the capsule is stretchedftightly over 4the mouth of the bottle andmaintained,L injpo'sition there, until the actual squeezing into position is i effected. j

It is known to efiect this stretching of the capsule, before the actual squeezing into positionis eiected, in such a manner Vthat a capsuling member consisting of a' rubber sleeve, the inside diameter of which is somewhat larger than the bottle neck, and` which sleeve by an increase in the liquid pressure onthe outside thereof is compressed so far, before the introductionl of the bottle neck, thatrthe diameter of the clear opening in the sleeve will thereby become smaller than the diameter of the bottle neck, Ater the final squeezing into position has taken` place; the pres- 40 sure isv then removed so that the rubber sleeve will again expand, and the diameterof the clear opening will be larger than vthe diameter of the bottle neck, andwill thereby allow the capsuled bottle neck to be freely removed. This process has pro-ved unsuitable inpractice', partly 'because the machine parts lcausing the diameter'of the rubber sleeve to be reduced must .be adjusted separately for each individual neck diameter lof the bottles to be capsuled, and partly because bottle 5o necks o-f one and the Vsamebatch lof bottles are mutually of highly varying'diameters, in such a manner that some capsules, for a certain definite 1 adjustment of the squeezingmember, duringlthe insertion into the partly compressed sleeve vwill meet a friction that is just suitable for'produci'ng (onzasf.

the desired stretching, -While other capsules applied* to bottle necks having a smaller diameter Willinotvb'e stretched 'suiiciently, and still other capsules" applied to bottle necks with a larger diameter will be stretched somuch, during the 5 insertion into the sleeve, that they will be torn. This vvill happen with still greater certainty. as

vmaintained under pressure around the sleeve, is not initselfsuiciently yielding to be able to 'adjust' itself to the varying diameter of bottles. l5 ff The present invention relates for instance to an arrangement by which it becomes possible to eiiect the requisite stretching of capsules over the bottle aperture, andto maintain the capsules in the stretched state during'the actual squeezing 2O :into position.` on ybottles of various diameters,

without the necessity ofY e'ecting any adjustment of .the parts lof the device, and without the above mentioned drawbacks appearing. vv'This' advantage is attained, according to the 25 invention, that the elastic sleeve itself, withyout any previous reduction'of the diameter, is iitted with ajthroat, the clear diameter of which is Vv,smaller than the diameter of the smallest bottle neck with'capsule loosely applied, and in 30 that the liquid chamber encircling the sleeve is "given,v a yielding wall allowing, Without any appreciablie' increase in the liquid pressure, the escape of the quantity of liquid that is displaced by the `insertion of the bottleneck with loosely 35 appliedcapsule intogthe narrow'part of the sleeve, 'which is hereby expanded. In this manner the friction adjusts itself automatically against'the sides of the capsule, Whether the diameter of the bottle 'neck' inserted be somewhat 40 larger or smaller, 'and secures for all the capsules a uniform stretching, without anyrisk of the capsule being torn to pieces on bottles happening to vhave a larger diameter than the normal one. 45

It is of especial advantage for this purpose to "provide, atsome point or other `oi the liquid chamber, an air `cushion sufficiently large to take up the quantity of liquid displaced by the largest bottle neck, may be vfitted with an external bottleY 50 'stoppe'nfor instance a Crown-Cork which may occur among the` bottles to be capsuled, Without the pressure rising appreciably, and hereby the advantage is attained that the friction against the sdesof the capsule, during the insertion into 55 CTI the sleeve, will be of about the same magnitude, whether the neck diameter be larger or smaller. When after the squeezing into position Yof the capsule the pressure against the outsidesleeve is 5 removed, and the sleeve has again returned to its natural shape, in which the clear diameter is smaller than the bottle neck with its capsule applied, the sleeve will continue to exert a pressure f against the bottle neck and the capsule thereon.

l However, as the diameter of jthe bottle neck with the capsule pressed onto the same will now be smaller than during the insertion, When the capsule was loosely applied, and as the capsule furthermore has now assumed theshape offthebotl tle neck and, consequently, is'xed in position, it will now be possible to remove the bottle neck from the sleeve, without tearing .the capsule, a1- though the sleeve according to the invention is fitted with a throat, which also after the capsule is squeezed into position will exert sa-*pressure 'against the bottle neck.

After the capsule'has been squeezed into'positiona reduced pressure mayalso be created in the liquid surrounding the sleeve, in such a manner that the latter will expand and the diameter o'f theclear openingin the same will be larger in the position of reposeof the sleeve, Vand in such a manner that it will ybepossible to Withdraw, without any'friction, the'bottle with the capsule attached thereto.

`In order to attain aperfectly smooth squeezing into position of the capsule, the latter will have to be smoothed at the same time as it is pressed into position,-and-thesqueezing into position must be effected in such-a manner that the airbetween the loosely applied capsule and the bottle neck 'can` escape. YThis cannot be done, unless the squeezing .into position be effected gradually,

which result according to the invention can vbe 4.0.attained by giving thesleeve wall a varying thick- Y ness. Y

When the bottleneck is introduced into the .throat Aof the sleeve, which'accordingto the invention is smaller than the diameterof the bottle V neck withthe capsuleloosely applied,.there will hereby be'formedinthe bottom of thesleeve an air-tight cavity, inwhich the air enclosed will vbe compressed when ,the walls of the sleeve are vpressed inward. The compressed air formed in this manner will press the Vtop vof the capsule firmly-against the bottleseal vwith a soft elastic `pressure on the entire surface, without any embossment pressed'into the top of the capsule being thereby injured. Y Y 55. The squeezing into position ofthe top of the capsule against the bottle stopper has heretofore been` attained bypressing the mouth `of the bottle, with the capsuleloosely applied thereto, against a li'lxed stop provided in the-sleeve, the result being thatthe capsule did not vfit smoothly at the top, While atV the same time any embossment impressed finto-thetop of the capsule would be destroyed by beingpressed against the fixed stop.Y

The resistance from the compressed air in the cavity has the further effect that the sleeve will be supportedduring squeezing .operation at the Y,points `where it does not rest against the bottle .and the capsule applied thereto,in such a manner Athat these partsl of the sleeve Will Anot be unduly stressed and for this reason will be `very durable.

The. following drawing is illustrativepf the invention, in which:-

Fig. 1 represents Van axial section ofthe sleeve andthe adjoining partsof the machine,

Il Fig. 2 represents an axial section-cfa sleeve ,position ofV repose.

,certain pressure along the edge I'I. ktime the sleeve 'I is expanded by the bottle and with a bottle inserted with the capsule loosely applied and covering a Crown-Cork stopper,

Fig. 3 represents a corresponding section of a differently constructed sleeve holding a bottle with a deeply seated stopper, 5

Fig. 4 represents a cross-section of the sleeve and the adjoining machine parts,

Fig. 5 represents a bottle neck with its capsule loosely applied,

Fig. `6 represents an axial section of a bottle .0

neck with an improperly applied capsule, which has not been stretched over the bottle mouth :before being squeezed into position, and

Fig. 7 represents a bottleneck with a capsule properly applied and stretched over the bottle l5 mouth before the squeezing into position.

.The device consists of a cylinder I, in which a Apiston 2 in manner known per se can be moved "back and forth through a stuffing box 3. The

inner cavity 4 of the cylinder communicates with 20 the inner cavity 5 of a casing 6, in which an elastic sleeve I is inserted. According to the inventionthe diameter oflthe clear width ofthe sleeve decreases in inward direction, Ywhich decreasein the constructions shown is produced by the sleeve 25 having the shape of a solid of revolution the curved generatrix of which isv turning its convexity towards the axis. The bottom of y the sleeve in themachine shown on Figs. 1 and y2 is pressed tightly against the casing 6 by means of a 30 bolt 8. In the machine shownin Fig.3 the bottom of the sleeve is solid. `The sleeve I is held firmly along itsY outer edge by means o f a screwcover I0, which is screwed firmly on to the casing 6, and which isfitted with an opening I I, by. Way g of which the bottle can be introduced into 'the Vaccording to the invention ishollow, the screw- 40 plug I3 Vbeing vprovided with an inner cavity .|4"

`forming an-air cushion communicating Withthe .Y cavity 4 in the cylinder I.

The vdevice operates inthe following Vmanner: "-Whenthe capsuling machine is to Vbe. made 45 Yreadyfor usethe piston 2 is moved out tov ,the Y position'it has to occupy when the sleeve is in its After this the chambers 4 and`5 are filled with liquid, preferably glycerine, and the screw-plug I3-is then screwed into posi- 50 tion. The parts occupy now the position showns in Fig. '4, in which the liquid in the chambersv J4 and 5 are exposed to` atmospheric pressure, while the surface of the liquid is just at the s'amelevel as the bottom side of the screw-plug' I3. V55 If now a bottle I5 rwith loosely applied capsule I6 vis inserted through the opening `I I, it will only be feasible to push the same freely so far forward that the edge I'I on the bottle mouthor the bottle stopper attached above the same, will, v60 Y ,be in contact withthe inner wall of the sleeveff: rWhen the bottleis moved further forward While overcoming the friction betweenthe sleeve and capsule, thelatter will be stretched down over the bottle mouth, and will be held in position byraY X65 At the same".l

capsule isserted, so that a'bulb.l8 willbe produced on the outside of the sleeve. Owing to the 'liquid chamber 5'having a yielding support on, 70 the air cushion I4 in the cavityJI, such an expansion of the sleeve can freely take place, without the ,liquid pressure in the chamber 5v being yincreased appreciably. The stretching of the capsule v,top and Ythe fixing of the stretched. Ycap-75 sule thus attained will be independent of the diameter' of the bottle or the bottle stopper, When only the said diameter is large enough to cover the clear opening in the sleeve. i

Then the piston 2 is moved inward. At the startv the liquid is hereby pressed into the cavity lli, until the pressure in the same becomes sufficient to overcome the resistance from the sleeve l, after which the latter is' compressed firmly about the bottle neck and squeezes the stretched and fixed capsule firmly about the bottle neck, in such a manner that the capsule I6 will be conformed smoothly and rmly, as shown in Fig. 7, and will closely take the shape of the bottle neck. As the walls of the sleeve will yield first to the liquid pressure at the points where the latter are thinnest, the squeezing into position, by making the thickness lof the sleeve wall varying, will -propagate itself gradually along the sides of the capsule, either from the top I9 of the capsule to the foot 2G of the same or vice versa, all depending on the thickness of the walls of the sleeve decreasing gradually in one or the other direction. Hereby, simultaneously with the squeezing into position of the capsule, a smoothing of the capsule and a removal ofthe air contained in the capsule will be effected.

In the construction shown in Fig. 2 the sleeve has a decreasing wall thickness running from the inlet opening II and towards the bottom. The sleeve Will therefore first be pressed inward around the cavityv 9 formed in the sleeve and limited by the bottle and the bottom of the said sleeve, and then around the edge I1. By compression of the air in the cavity 9 the top I9 of the capsule will be pressed firmly around the edge I1 and against the bottle stopper 2|, which in Fig. 2 is shown as a Crown-Cork stopper encircling the mouth of the bottle. Subsequently the capsule is pressed against the lower part of the bottle neck, in such a manner that the capsule simultaneously with the squeezing into position will be smoothed out in the direction indicated by the arrow 22 in Fig. 2, while at the same time the air enclosed between the capsule and the bottle neck will be expelled or pressed out.

After this the piston 2 is again moved out- Ward, whereby the liquid pressure in the chambers fl and 5 will again sink down to the atmospheric pressure, and the sleeve -will then again assume the shape shown in Fig. V2. After this the bottle with the capsule applied thereto can be withdrawn, without any danger of tearing. In order to make certain that the bottle can easily be withdrawn, without the capsule being torn olf, a vacuum may also be produced in the chamber 5 by moving the piston 2 farther outward than to the position corresponding to atmospheric pressure in the said chamber. The sleeve will thus be expanded beyond the position of repose, and will thereby be removed entirely from the capsule, which is now squeezed into position and smoothed out.

In the construction shown-in Fig. 3 the wall thickness of the sleeve is increasing from the inlet opening I I towards'the bottom of the sleeve.

When here the pressure in the chamber 5 is i creased, after the bottle with the loosely applied capsule has been inserted and has formed the bulb I3 on the sleeve, whereby at the same time the capsule has been stretched down over the mouth of the bottle, the sleeve will first be pressed inward against the bottle with the end 2l) facing the aperture II. 'Ihe capsule will therefore first be squeezed into position along its vlower edge, and will'be smoothed up towards the edge I1 gradually as the squeezing inward ofthe sleeve is extended, and some of the capsule material will be pressed .past the said edge, in the ldirection of the arrow 23, in Vsuch a manner, that projecting beyond the edge of the bottle neck.V

Owing to this surplus material it will be feasible in suchcases to cause the capsule that has been squeezed into position to fit smoothly around the bottle neck and to rest against the bottle stopper as shown in Fig. 7. .Y

A feature common to both of the constructions shown in Figs. 2 and 3 is that the squeezing into position and the smoothing of the capsule are effected gradually, which result is attained b giving the sleeve a varying wall thickness.

If it were attempted to apply a capsule without taking care that the same should be stretched down about the bottle mouth and be held in Y'position thereon while stretched, the capsule lI6 would t poorly as shown in Fig. 6, in whicha sharp annular edge 25 at the top near the bottle mouth will be formed by the surplus material produced by the compression.

The arrangement may be' modified in various manners without transgressing the boundaries/3 5 of the invention, and it should be pointed out especially that the sleeve 'I may have other forms Y than shown, as for instance the clear width does not have to be decreasing throughout the entire length, but may increase again after the minimum cross-section desired for the work 'has been passed.

Further, the sleeve does not have to b e shaped like a solid of revolution, but may be of oval crosssection, which will be suitable if the bottles to Y be capsuled are tted with a stopper ttedwith an opening device disposed on the side, or in the case of bottles fitted with a drop-spout or the like.

On the other hand, if the work is to be donc with capsules made from thin metal foil with previously impressed corrugations, the inside of the sleeve must necessarily be smooth, without any incisions, folds or the like.

I claim:

l. A process for applying capsules having top and skirt portions 'to bottles, which comprises the steps, initially applying an unrestrained pressure over the entire skirt portion of av capsule to stretch the capsule over the mouth'of a bottle, maintaining said capsule in its stretched position, and thereafter compressing the capsule into Y formity with the bottle.

3. A process for applying capsules to bottles, which comprises the steps, introducing a bottle having a loosely applied capsule thereon within fan elastic member initially having a clear diamelastic member to compress the capsule into close conformity with the bottle.

4. A process for applying capsules to bottles,

-which comprises the steps, `applying an unrestrained elastic pressure against a capsule to stretch the same into contact with a bottle adjacent its mouth, maintaining said capsule in stretched position, and thereafter applying a fluid pressure to compress the complete capsule Vformity with the bottle.

6. A capsule-applying machine for applying capsules to bottles, comprising 'an elastic sleeve member having a normal clear diameter less than the bottle diameter -adjacent the capsule supported thereon, a fluid chamber surrounding ksaid elastic sleeve member, a piston member adapted to exert a pressure on said elastic member, and an air cavity associated with said uid chamber whereby fluid within the chamber may be displaced to permit unrestrained adjustment of the elastic sleeve member to varying sizes of bottles.

7. A capsule-applying mechanism for applying capsules to bottles, comprising an elastic sleeve member adapted to receive a bottle loosely supporting Aa capsule thereon, said sleeve member having a normal clear diameter less than that of the bottle adjacent its capsule, and a fluid chamber surrounding said elastic sleeve member having a piston reciprocally mounted therein, said elastic member being adapted to exert `and maintain an elastic stretching pressure upon the capsule adjacent the top of the bottle, and said piston being adapted to compress said capsule into close conformity with the bottle.

8. In a capsule-applying machine, an elastic sleeve member having a normal clear diameter less than that of a bottle having a capsule loosely supported thereon, said sleeve member being ladapted -to initially stretch the capsule over the bottle adjacent its mouth, a fluid chamber surrounding said elastic sleeve member, a piston cooperating with said fluid chamber and adapted to exert a pressure upon said elastic sleeve memrlber to compress the capsule into close conformity wi-th the bottle, said velastic sleeve member being provided with a wall of graduated thickness whereby the compression' pressure adjusts itself Yalongthe'depth of said capsule. v

9. Inr a lcapsule-applying mechanism, an elastic sleeve member having -a normal clear diameter less than that of a bottle having a capsule `loosely supported thereon, a fluid chamber surrounding 'said elastic sleeve and equipped with a piston fo-r kexerting a pressure on said elastic sleeve member, an air cavity associated with said fiuid Ychamber to permit displacement of said elastic sleeve-to accommodate varying sizes of bottles without exerting any ini-tial fluid pres- `sure thereon, said elastic sleeve being adapted to initially'stretch the'capsule over the bottle adjacent its mouth, and said piston being adapted to compress the capsule into close conformity withthe bottle. l Y

10.!A process for'applying capsules having top and skirt portions'to bottles, which comprises the steps, loosely supporting a capsule upon a bottle moluth, initially applying. an unrestrained pressure .progressively downwardly over the entire is stretched over the mouth of a bottle, maintaining-said capsule in stretched position, and there- :after applying additionalv pressure to compress ysuleywherebyl the elasticv member contacts the vskirt portion only of the capsule to stretch the capsule over the mouth of a bottle and provides entrappedairwithin a space between the elastic` member andthe top'portion of the capsule, mainber andentrapped air to compress the capsule into close conformity with the bottle.

l2. V`A process for applying capsules having top and skirt portions-to bottles, which comprises the steps, loosely positioning a capsule upon a bottleV mouth, initially applying an unrestrained pressure progressively downwardly over the entire depth of said capsule skirt to smoothly stretch the capsule over the bottle mouth, maintaining said capsule in 'stretched position, and thereafter .applying additional pressure to compress the capsule into close conformity with the bottle while simultaneously expelling air from between the -capsuleandits supporting bottle.

y OTTO JOHANNES BRUUN.

depth ofsaid capsule skirt, whereby the capsuleY taining said capsule in Vstretched position, and *t thereafter applying pressure to said elastic mem- 

